Nasogastric feeding tubes can save lives

Julie Damron

Saturday

Dec 24, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Anorexia (not eating) can lead to serious health issues in dogs and cats. When animals don't eat, they break down their muscle tissue to provide energy for their bodies. Over time, anorexia can lead to organ dysfunction. Cats, especially portly ones, will send fat from their body to their liver if they don't eat for more than a few days. This can have serious health consequences and may lead to liver failure and even death. Cats are more prone to anorexia than dogs, and may not eat if they are stressed.

Anorexia (not eating) can lead to serious health issues in dogs and cats. When animals don't eat, they break down their muscle tissue to provide energy for their bodies. Over time, anorexia can lead to organ dysfunction. Cats, especially portly ones, will send fat from their body to their liver if they don't eat for more than a few days. This can have serious health consequences and may lead to liver failure and even death. Cats are more prone to anorexia than dogs, and may not eat if they are stressed.

In some patients, starting intravenous fluids can be enough to stimulate them to eat again. For others, force feeding, or manually introducing nutrients into the mouth will stimulate eating. However, there are many patients who require additional supportive care. A nasal feeding tube can be considered for any patient who is not eating for an extended time period, has a fractured jaw, or is recovering from head trauma, significant burns or other ailments that will lead to poor nutrient consumption. Good nutrition leads to faster healing and better immune system support.

A nasogastric tube is a soft rubber tube that is inserted through the nose, gently introduced into the esophagus, and then advanced into the stomach. Local anesthetic drops are placed into the nasal cavity to make this process easier on the patient. The end of the tube is secured to the patient's head, and an e-collar is placed to prevent the tube from being pulled off. Proper placement should be confirmed with an X-ray.

Once in place, the nasogastric feeding tube can be used to give a highly nutritious liquid diet either by repeated manual injections or by a constant rate infusion with an intravenous pump. The constant rate infusion can be less traumatic by giving small amounts of food at a low rate. It is less likely to trigger vomiting, and can be set to administer a full day's worth of calories over 24 hours. This method is less stressful to the cat or dog, and also is less labor intensive.

A nasogastric tube has many benefits over placing feeding tubes in other locations. First, general anesthesia is not required for placement. Patients that haven't been eating for an extended period are in a weakened body condition. Anesthesia is an increased risk for these patients. Stomach tubes require general anesthesia to place. Secondly, a nasogastric tube can be removed easily, and doesn't need to be kept in place for an extended time. A stomach tube needs to be left in place for at least two weeks. Also, not a lot of care is needed to maintain the nasogastric tube, and it is fairly low cost. This is also different from a stomach tube, which requires frequent cleaning and flushing. It is also safer than repeatedly passing a stomach tube via the mouth.

Our clinic has had several patients return to normal eating after nasogastric tube treatment. Most recently I have worked with a 3.5-year-old cat named Sweet Boy who hadn't been eating for a month following an anesthetic procedure at another facility. He is now starting to eat both wet and dry food on his own. His mom, Margret Smallie, reports that he is even playing with his toys, which is something he has rarely done in the past. I am hopeful for his continued successful recovery.

Nasal tube feeding can be a life-saving method of providing nutrients for patients that need short-term supportive nutritional care. It can be an aid in the recovery for many different health conditions, and is fairly easy and inexpensive to place. A nasogastric tube should only be placed by a veterinarian, and any dog or cat that is not eating well for 48 hours should receive immediate medical attention.

Julie Damron is a veterinarian at Sierra Veterinary Clinic in Stockton. Contact her at features@recordnet.com.

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